Lightning

[Andromedii]

Lightning slashing the midnight skies over the endless reaches of the ocean. The electric tang of ozone, marine notes, and a drop of sharp rain.

Lightning was one of the first scents I applied to my skin.

I will say it gave off a sudden sharp zap, smelled like a white shiver, and reminded me of standing on a sea-side cliff being slapped with crisp storm rain during a thunderstorm.

Unfortunately, it's not what I'm looking for in a perfume.

But it's amazing the way BPAL can bottle something like a storm in a tiny vial.

[OdetteOdile]

If I liked Ozone fragrances more, I'd love this.

Ozone and musk was how it smelled on me - and something floral, maybe - faint, but just enough to balance and soften everything perfectly.

 

We'd been having lightning storms every night for weeks when I tried this last summer, and I enjoyed the idea of having a fragrance to accompany them.

 

My only question was - would the perfume increase the threat of being struck - or ward off lightning and protect the wearer? (No evidence either way).

Edited October 12, 2004 by OdetteOdile

[omly]

In the bottle this smells like air freshener. Fortunately it is not as much so on. My SO liked both Lightning and Jolly Roger, two great sea scents. Of the two though we both slightly prefered the saltier Jolly Roger though. For the first hour or so there is a distinct soapy underlying smell. I never get any ozone . Perseverence is paid off though. After that first hour the soapiness dies down for the most part, but never goes completely away. Final decision? A nice sea scent, but I still prefer Jolly Roger.

[Witch's Dagger]

Lightning

 

This is going to be a fast review, so bear with me...

 

I avoided trying this one for awhile, because I didn't like the way it smelled in the bottle - very bitter and citrusy. I like citrus, and I like bitter - but I like *dark* bitter, and this was very bright.

 

So, finally, I tried it. It didn't change on me at all. Instead, it remained that bright bitter scent. I was able to figure out that what it smelled like to me was bitter lime - I love eating limes, but sometimes I get a bad one. This was like that.

 

I finally got so frustrated that I layered it with Haunted, since that is a darker, warmer citrus. At first, this was unsuccessful, and the Lightning overwhelmed the Haunted, but now I smell lovely again.

 

Anyway, so I wish I liked it more, and I think it's definitely appropriate for its name: very powerful, bright, and bitter. It's very intriguing, and I think on the right person, it would be wonderful. Sadly, this is not me.

[NoirRosaleen]

Lightning was soap and lemon on me...not enough lemon to make me want to gag, but not really marine at all to me. I*ve noticed this with almost all the marine blends...I have never smelled the water/salt that I was imagining. Maybe it*s just what my skin does to the "marine" aspect, but I*ve gone through Bayou (floral), Jolly Roger (not there long enough to distinguish), Undertow (sickly sweet if memory serves), Hurricane (lemon), and now Lightning, and I*m not getting rain, storm, marine, what-have-you from any of them. This makes me sad.

Edited November 20, 2004 by NoirRosaleen

[Penance]

I was really looking forward to this one since I love thunderstorms so much, but sadly it doesn't appear to work for me.

 

First sniff:

 

Ozoney but with a hint of lemon that's already turning me off. I love pure ozone scents, not ones with citrus in them and, sadly, Lightning appears to be in the citrus/ozone cateogry.

 

Wet on skin:

 

More lemony than ozoney and with a hint of soapiness. It reminds me more of Pledge than a thunderstorm. I don't know why, but almost all of BPAL's aquatic scents seem to turn into some sort of cleaning products on me.

 

Dry down:

 

It smells like cleaning fluid now. I'm pretty sure it's my body chemistry and not the oil, but it's still a disappointment. I was so hoping for a good electrical ozone kind of scent, but I got lemon Pledge instead.

 

The bottom line:

 

Off to swaps it goes. I'm not giving up my search for the perfect thunderstorm scent just yet, though.

[zapevaj]

Definitely a sharp-smelling scent. I agree with Rois that there's some citrus there; I'm tempted to say lemon or lime. I can see how it would be invigorating, but it doesn't smell at all like a perfume, so I can't see myself wearing it. interesting concept for a blend, though.

 

-Rae

[darkitysnark]

Lightning

 

 

(This was one of many generous freebies from the lab. Thanks lab!)

 

In the bottle: sharp, clean, slight citrus and what must be "aquatic". Just... sharp and clean. Very much the opposite of my usual oils (dark and, um, dirty? more gritty/earthy/ambiguous)

 

Wet: the sharpness recedes and is replaced by... Bounce fabric softener. I'm think I might be one of those people on which "aquatics" turn into "clean, cleaner, powder" type smells.

 

Dry down: still Bounce-y, almost distractingly so. Though I do not mind the smell of Bounce (heck, it's my fabric softener of choice) I would like some of that sharp ozone back in exchange for fresh static-cling-free goodness. Ah well, this one is gonna be a swapper.

 

Later: this oil lasted about a medium amount of time. Not short lived, nor did it carry over into the evening. After eight hours I could make it out very faintly but only at very close range. One odd thing: my right wrist took on a yummy incensey tone at the end of the day while the left wrist remained Bounce-y. Odd.

 

I would not have picked this one out on my own, and am glad I had a chance to try something in a family that I have so far ignored. Still a bit gun shy of the aquatics, but perhaps someday I'll find the one that I can love (and that loves me back!).

[Fishwomon]

I received this one in a swap, and I'm afraid I have to concur with the folks here who say it reminds them of air freshener or dryer sheets. It has a very blue scent, but a synthetic blue, not the blue of the ocean. As it dries, I also smell the citrus, which gives the scent a sharp cleanness. It would make a nice linens spray if you like that just-out-of-the dryer-smell. It might also work well on a clean-cut, well-scrubbed man. Alas, it's just not for me.

 

ETA: I think this might be quite nice on a 13 year old friend of mine; it has a fresh, clean, soapy scent. I'll offer it to her.

Edited December 5, 2004 by Fishwomon

[tinyvulture]

Fresh, clean and crisp. Definitely aquatic, reminds me of Yankee Candle's Ocean Water, or the smell in the air when you go outside during a summer storm. I'd love it if my sheets smelled like this. It's a little too masculine for me - but I'll ask my husband to try it on, I think it would smell great on him.

[LupaWulf]

I dabbed some of this on before work one day. I really wanted it to work, since I am in love with the scent of a thunderstorm especially as the lightninign zigs through the sky.

 

Smells sweet and clean in the bottle and when first applied. Sort of like a clear day mixed with a very CLEAN scent, I am not sure how exactly to describe it. Like a golden retriever who'se been running around in the yard for an entire a clear fall day with lots of wind. (not doggie, but just like the wind and entire outside CLEAN scent) That makes sense to me at least...

 

Wearing it:

The sweet scent comes out more, and stays. Unfortunatly it doesn't stay strongly. By mid day I could bairly detect Lightning on my wrist.

 

I was sort of bummed out, since I like the way it smelled. I guess I either must slather it on, and refresh it every few hours or just deal.

 

I did like it while it lasted.

[The Ace of Spades]

This one is a radical departure from my usual sort of scent, and I like it a great deal. It has a slightly electric note to it. It's also quite strong both on and in the bottle, and tends to linger. It’s not a 'daily' scent for me, but I can definitely see using it as a change from my more common scents, for rituals, and for occasions when I want to feel electric and alive.

 

ADDED Jan. 9:

 

Second try on this one turned a bit lemony on me... I swiped a little on the hubby, and it was less lemony on him. After a half hour or so, it just turned to a lovely airy clean scent on him, and he said, "This is quite nice, very subtle and clean. How much is this stuff again?"

 

Looks like I made a new convert. I'm ordering him a 5ml.

[rhubarbbear]

this scent is very ozone-y, fresh and tangy. its one of only a handful of bpals that have gotten stronger on my skin, and it lasted a good long while- i could clearly smell it 8 hours after i put one wand application on one wrist! its stormy, but a bright storm- hence the lightening, i suppose. wet, but bright and sharp. i don't know that its one i'll wear often, but i do like it!

[judifruit]

The way I test my oils: Sniff the bottle, apply to wrist, let it sit without any sniffing for at least 5 minutes to get my real first impression.

 

Unfortunately, Lightning has been one of the very few that when I took my first big sniff, I recoiled with what must have been an ugly grimace. Nothing like what I expected (what I expected was crisp, clean ozone/marine).

 

I couldn't put a finger on it but after reading through previous reviews I think I agree with some others who've said "air freshener" or "cleaning fluid". I'd say it smells like a morph of the two.

Edited January 9, 2005 by judifruit

[fairywingmaker]

Rain water, salty, tiny touch of lemon/lime. I'm contantly amazed at how Beth can combine oils and come up with a feeling, a time, a place. This puts me at the beach right before the rain hits the sand. Incredibly beautiful!

[Falathwen]

This is very powerful! It is both sharp and bright which fits the concept, but does not exactly fit me. This is in the style of a contemporary perfume you might find a sample of in a magazine. My first impression was actually floral, with a tang of salt, and something sharp which I am guessing is the ozone. It grew softer and ever more floral as it dried but I could not name the flowers.

I must continue my quest for the scent of the Atlantic.

[siriusstar]

Aha! This is what I was looking for in an ocean scent. It is VERY like Escape, but sharper, less flowery and with a lot more staying power! I wore it with my Escape lotion and they blended beautifully. This lasted all day and is still quite strong on the sleeve of my coat several days later. It's a summer storm for sure!

[Digital_Hypoxia]

Clean, crisp, and vaguely soapy.

I found Lightning to be very sharp in the bottle; however, it softened beautifully on my skin.

 

It reminds me of a mix of smells: rain, mens cologne, and a soap from my childhood whose name is evading me at the moment.

 

I usually really go for gourmand scents (and occasionally bright citrus and green tea based fragrances), but I can really see myself buying a big bottle of this.

[shelldoo]

this one is very citrus, ozone, mixture, it does smell like an ocean storm, but it bothers my nose something feirce.

[byrdie]

TMI ~ Day 6 of my period - the aftermath of spotting.

 

Note ~ Tarted, have had for a while but never reviewed it. This is probably the third time that I've tried it over the last year.

 

Vial ~ Warm lemonade after a day spent polishing furniture with Lemon Pledge.

 

Wet ~ Initially, the same; but starting to dissipate and become airier.

 

Drying ~ The warmth is still there, but that may just be my skin. The lemon is sharper, brighter and perhaps a little colder, now. Crisp, I suppose.

 

Drydown ~ Hrm. It's getting back to warm lemonade, but a little less happy.

 

Dry ~ About the same.

 

Fade ~ Incredibly dull, actually. A muted lemon - not powdery, not even really faint. Just ... bland. It's threatening to return to Lemon Pledge, now. No skin tingling that I noticed, though.

 

Hours later, I have to put my nose on my wrist to smell anything. On one wrist, I have the vague memory of lemon. On another, the lemon is gone and I may be getting either a light plastic scent or nothing at all -- it's hard to be sure.

 

Final thoughts ~ While I was able to pick up some airy qualities from this oil, nothing about it gave me any connection between this scent and my real-life experiences before or during a lightning strike. It could be good for people who tend to find most lemon scents a bit unruly, but personally I can't recommend it.

[Cedar]

In the bottle: It really lives up to it's name. This is a sharp, wet. ozone-y fragrance that smells exactly the way the air does right before and after it rains. As one who loves rain, I'm excited.

 

On me: It still retains that ozone-y scent, but something underneath turned funny. Once dry, it smelled like Joy detergent, kind of lemony and chemical. The fond childhood memories of rainy days were nice while the oil was still wet, but it's going in the swap pile.

[Faerykin]

Lightning

 

Swiped across wrists and along collarbone.

 

Initial Wet (8-8:30am): Light, clean & crisp. There is definitely something familiar here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It could be my 8 years living on Lake Charlevoix. After a thunderstorm, the air just smelled so fresh and clean.

 

Initial Dry (8:30-10am): This softens beautifully. It is still light and clean – not so crisp. Almost like the scent of the air right after a massive storm … the sun peaking through the clouds, drying up the puddles. So fresh, so alive.

 

Throughout the Day (10am-on): This doesn’t really change much from its initial dry stage. It is still very clean & fresh. I like it a lot. It promotes a sense of calm – just like a thunderstorm.

 

This slowly dissipates throughout the day – just like the fresh, clean smell of after-the-rain slowly dissipates as the storm moves on.

 

Thank you Tracy for such a wonderful gift!

[gdogs]

this gave me goosebumps when i first put it on, actual shivers down my spine. it is sharp and high. reminded me of fabric softener, but not in a bad way. would have been big bottle worthy, but it dried too sharp and brittle for me, and tickled my nose.

 

however i will gladly use the imp, which was a generous gift from the lab!

[Rheliwen]

This blend is very sharp and fresh smelling. It's sort of creepy how Beth can bottle the scent of fresh rain...but she did.

 

Lightning is what the air smells like after an electric storm in a tropical forest. It's windy, moist and a bit chaotic. At first I thought this smelled like lemon cleaning product, but as it dried it actually got slightly floraly. It's heavy on the ozone, but I quite like it.

 

This is a tropical, air and water scent. I think it smells fab and would make a great scent to welcome in spring

[Sara]

Imp sniff: Bright, clear (albeit slightly yellow-tinged) citrusy type scent...shaded with soap on the outskirts.

 

Swipe - Everything bursts from this one upon fresh application...it's almost mouthwatering (not in a foody kind of way) how potent it is. Everything is brighter, the citrus, the "ozone" (?), and sadly, the soap.

 

Drydown - Hmm..I'm not entirely certain exactly what th ozone note is, but I'm pretty sure it's the one reminding me of poop right now. Not like poop poop, but like unclean restroom "someone pooped in here a little while ago and the freshners have been working overtime to clear it out but it's still kinda on the back of your throat" kinda poop. Aside from that, it's a pretty scent. And it's not like the poop is really screaming at me or anything..it's like in the far back and almost a ghostly presence...lol, ghost poop.

 

Overall - At the end of the day (6 hours after application) this has a very skinhugging feel to it. Very fresh and slightly lemony. I really like this stage...it's rare, usually blends either disappear on me by now or morph into playdoh. I like this one...not sure how much, but I like it.